Switch for electric conductors.



Patented Oct. 8, 190|.

No. 684,1l4.

T. B. SHAFFER.

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC GDNDUCTORS.

(Application filed July 23, 1901.)

(No Model.)

ATTORNEYS W/ TNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lTHEODORE B. SHAFFER, OF VESTMOOR, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJOHN MAINWARING, OF PLYMOUTH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

SPECIFlCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,114, dated October8, 1901.

Application tiled July 23,1901. Serial No. 69.422. (No model.)

To @ZZ ww'nt t may concern:

a citizen of the United States, residing at Westmoor, in the county ofLuzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have made certain new and usefulImprovements in Switches for Electric Conductors, of which the followingis a specitication.

My invention is an improvement in switches for suspended electricconductors, such as are used on electric railways, and has for an objectto provide a simple and novel construction by which to insure the properpassage of the trolley from th`e siding onto the main line; and theinvention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations ofparts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure lis a top plan view, and Fig. 2 a bottom planview, of a switch embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionalview on about line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinalsection on about line 4 4 of Fig. l.

In the construction shown and as preferred the switch is in the form ofa casting, of suitable metal, having in its upper side grooves A and Bfor the main wire C andthe siding-wire D, means being provided at C andD for clamping the wires and at C2 and D2 for the connection of suitablebrace-wires, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 3.

On its under side the switch is provided with the rib E, coinciding withthe main wire and forming the main-line rib, and with the rib F, whichcoincides with the siding-wire and constitutes the siding-rib, as willbe understood from Fig. 2 of the drawings. The mainline rib E extendsthroughout the length of the switch, while the siding-rib F terminatesat its inner end at a point about opposite the middle of the main-linerib, so the trolley G (shown in Fig. 3) can pass from the siding-ribonto the main-line rib, as desired.

To insure the proper delivery of the trolley from the siding-rib to themainline rib, I prefer to form the base-wall II ot' the siding-rib inapproximately the plane of the lower edge of the main-line rib, as shownin Fig. 3, and to extend the base-wall I-I at H beyond the extremity ofthe siding-rib F and alongside the main-line rib, as best shown in Fig.2.

It Will be understood that while it is preferred to arrange thebase-wallvI-I and its extension H in approximately the plane ofthe loweredge of the rib E, I do not intend by such definition of theconstruction to be limited to terminating said wall in line with thelower edge of the rib E, as the wall II and its extension I-I mightproject slightly below the rib E without departing.;` from some of theprinciples of my invention.

It will noticed that the Iiange Iextends on the outer side of the wall HH and depends, as shown in Fig. 3, and slopes gradually toward its innerend I', where it lies opposite the rib E and the groove E on the innerside of the rib E, as best shown in Fig. 2.

By the construction shown it will be noticed that a trolley riding in onthe sidingrib F will be supported after it has passed beyond the innerend of said rib by the wall H', which is so related to the rib B' thatthe extension' H will support the trolley-wheel by engagement with theouter flange thereof (see Fig. 3) until the inner flange of saidtrolley-wheel is projected to overlap the mainline rib E, as is alsoshown in Fig. 3. It will be noticed, therefore, that when the trolley Gis advanced from the position shownin Fig. 3 toward the end of theswitch shown at the left in Fig. 2 the trolley will ride off theextension H' beyond the end of the siding-rib F and will pass upon therib E, being directed thereto by the flange I and the eX= tension H ofthe base-wall H, as before de- ICO main-line rib, the siding-rib leadinginward toward the main-line rib and terminating at its inner endopposite said rib, the base-Wall of the groove on the outer side of thesidingrib being extended beyond the inner extremity of the said sidingand alongside the mainline rib and lying in a plane approximately withthat of the lower edge of the main-line rib, and the guard-flangeextending along the outer side of the said base-wall extension,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A switch for electric conductors, comprising the main-line rib, thesiding-rib having the base-Wall of its groove on the side opposite themain rib arranged approximately in the plane of the lower edge of themain-line rib, said base-Wall being extended beyond the inner extremityof the siding-rib and alongside the main-1ine rib and adapted 'tooperate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. A switch for electric conductors, comprising the main-line rib, thesiding-rib, and a trolley-supporting Wall or surface extending beyondtheinner extremity of the sidingrib and adapted to support the trolleyafter it has passed beyond said rib, and cause it to overlap themain-line rib before its delivery thereto, substantially as set forth.

4. A switch for electric conductors, comprising the main-line rib, thesiding-rib terminating at its inner end opposite the mainline rib, and atrolley-supporting surface H extending beyond the inner extremity of thesiding-rib, substantially as set forth.

5. A switch for electric conductors, composed of the casting having thedepending main-line rib, the depending siding-rib terminating at itsinner end opposite the mainline rib, the base-Wall of the groove on theside of the siding-rib opposite the main-line rib, being extended beyondthe inner end of the siding-rib and arranged in a plane approximatelywith that of the lower edge of the main-line rib, and the guard-fiangeon the outer side of said base-Wall and extending alongside theextension of such Wall, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

THEODORE B. SHAFFER.

XVitnesses:

ELIAS Coi-IEN, FRED C. KIRKENDALL.

